Who leaves their door unlocked? I could have been a robber coming to take everything he owns. Opening up Isaiah's front door. I enter his apartment, locking the door behind me.
"I know you're somewhere out there, Somewhere far away."
I heard singing coming from his from.
"I want you back, I want you back. My neighbors think I'm crazy. But they don't understand. You're all I have."
Recognizing the song as Bruno Mars' Talking to the moon, I began to quietly sing along.
"At night when the stars light up my room, I sit by myself -" Recognizing this had been Isaiah singing, I smile. He sings so well.
"Talking to the moon" I sang joining in. Catching him off guard, but earning a smile from him.
"You startled me."
"Sorry. You left your door unlocked. I've known you all my life and I never knew you could sing like that."
"I never knew you could sing!"
Laughing at him, I sit on the opposite side of his bed, which at this point is my side of the bed.
"I remember when my mom came home from the hospital the day you were born. She had just become an Obstetrics and your mom was her first patient. She was so happy for your mom. They were best friends years before that. At some point, you would have thought she would steal you from your mom." Isaiah started, reminded me of the story my mom told me of his mom helping my mom birth me.
"The first word I learned in English was "baby" and that was for you. My mom changed her mind about wanting me to be fluent in Korean before learning English. Which is crazy because how did she expect me to go to a school that was fluent in English?" He said laughing at his mother.
"Your mom believes in tradition. There's nothing wrong with that." I said laughing along with him. "Anyway's what's up?" I asked.
"Well... I wanted to talk to you. There has been something I've just been wanting to get off my chest. And it's not that I was trying to keep it a secret, I just didn't know how to tell you."
"Ok. What's wrong?" I said, sitting next to him.
"I'm.. not gay." He started, but waited for my response. Yes I was a little shocked. But so what.
"Ok. There is nothing wrong with that. Isaiah-" I began chuckling a bit. "So what? You did all that just to say you're no-"
"No, It's not just that. Listen. I like you. I always have ever since we were younger but I've always been older than you. I just felt like it would have been weird for me to express my feelings to you. When I wasn't happy with other girls, I questioned my sexuality. But really, I was only satisfied with one person and that one person is you. When you asked me to take you to your prom, back in May, I wanted to kiss you so bad. But I just couldn't. When you graduated, I wanted to kiss you even more and tell you how much I love you and tell you about all these strong feelings I had for you. When you secluded yourself and started talking to Felix, I was so jealous. I wanted you all to myself. Not a crumb left for anyone else to have." He spoke as tears ran down his face, into his lap.
I wanted to smile, but I didn't want to feel like an idiot smiling while he was crying. Instead, I hugged him. It's a privilege to have someone like him as a best friend. I accept his feelings. There nothing wrong with the way he felt and there is nothing wrong with him getting that off his chest. I understood him because I began to realize I like him too.
"I'm sorry. But I just had to tell you. I didn't want to make you uncomfortable or-"
"Shh. Isaiah, what are best friends for? I'm here for you just like you are here for me. I'm glad you got this off your chest. It better than letting it eat you up inside." I said, rubbing his back. I couldn't imagine the way he felt, nor how it felt to admit something like that.
"I told Keyera."
"Did you now?" I said, pulling away from the hug.
"Yea." He replied as I wiped away his last tear with my thumb.
"Well... I guess I should confess too. I like you too. When I was like...16, matter fact, not long after we had our... talk. I realized I liked you, a lot. But at the time, you were, or I thought you were, interested in guys. And like you said, I thought I was too young for you and that you would rather be with someone closer to you in age. I don't know, I just didn't want to weird you out. A couple of weeks ago, when I was talking to Felix, he asked me if I liked you and I thought I didn't, but apparently, I did. When you changed your hair- you know what I'm talking to much"
"What? Did I turn you on?" I asked in a joking manner, earning a laugh from me.
"Shh. That is confidential."I said, earning a laugh from him.
"Oh-" I began, leaving his room, grabbing my bag from his couch then bring it back to the room.
"I hope you don't mind me staying here tonight." I said, making him laugh yet again.
"Not at all."
~
After changing into pajamas, I laid in bed next to Isaiah, cuddling up to him and he scrolled through his phone. I watched as he sat his phone on his nightstand, then turned back around, wrapping his arms around me and placing a sweet kiss on my forehead.
"I should just be your girlfriend now." I said in a suggesting tone, earning a chuckle from Isaiah.
"Of course baby."
